Meanwhile, in Division 1B, eight points from the boot of out-half Jack McDermott proved key at College Park as Dublin University withstood a late charge from Shannon to secure their third straight victory of the campaign (13-7).
Heavy rainfall in central Dublin made life difficult for both teams, but Trinity got off to a positive start and following an indiscretion by Shannon five minutes in, McDermott stepped forward to calmly slothome a 30-metre penalty.
When you consider the weather conditions, it was clear that every score would be hugely important Shannon responded to the concession of McDermott’s penalty by forcing the hosts on the back foot with some strong kicks from distance.
Indeed, full-back David O’Donovan was presented with an ideal opportunity to restore parity three minutes later. However, his kick from distance was narrowly wide of the mark.
Former Clongowes Wood College star Sebastian Fromm, a native of Germany, and McDermott were threatening to break through the Shannon defence as the action moved into the second quarter.
O’Donovan drifted a penalty from a left hand angle past the far post and he was left to rue this miss on 28 minutes when Trinity finally breached the opposition line. A neat lay-off from McDermott brought Conor Kearns into the play and after finding a gap inside the Shannon 22, the centre’s momentum helped him to crash over the line.
McDermott’s successful conversion saw Tony Smeeth’s youngsters take a 10-0 lead into the second period. The only downside for the students was the 38th minute sin-binning of number 8 Nick McCarthy. When he returned to the fray, though, Shannon were still scoreless.
In fact, try-scoring opportunities were at a premium for much of the half. Shannon hooker Liam Cronin was held up close to the whitewash afer almost breing through just past the hour mark.
Replacement scrum half Jack Cullen also went close as Shannon started to increase the pressure, but just when the Trinity defence appeared to be impenetrable, flanker Hugh Kelliher touched down for the visitors seven minutes from time.
This finished off a long period of territorial dominance for Shannon and with O’Donovan comfortably adding the extras, it set up a tense finale.
McDermott’s 79th-minute penalty settled Trinity back down, though, and despite the best efforts of Munster’s Luke O’Dea and Stephen Fitzgerald in the dying moments, Shannon came up short once again.